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A Reliable Biomarker Derived from Plasmalogens to Evaluate Malignancy and Metastatic Capacity of Human Cancers

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Lipids

Abstract

Antigen tumor markers employed in monitoring therapeutical approaches are limited by their specificity (Sp) and sensitivity (Se). The aim of this study was to investigate the suitability of a lipid tumor marker derived from ether-linked phospholipids and to compare it with others usually assayed in clinical practice. Complex lipids from normal and pathological breast, lung, and prostate tissue were isolated and analyzed by TLC and c-GLC methods. Results were compared as pooled samples, or by means of the averaged percent changes with respect to the composition observed in the normal tissue of the same patient. Sp, Se, negative-predictive (NPV) and positive- predictive values (PPV) were established for conventional markers and for the proposed lipid-derived marker. Results demonstrated that the content of monoenoic fatty acyl chains was significantly increased in total lipids, phosphatidylethanolamine, and especially in ethanolamine-containing ether lipids of neoplastic tissues with respect to their corresponding normal ones. Major changes were observed in the plasmalogen sub-fraction where the ratio monoenoic/saturated fatty acids can distinguish with high Se normal tissues from either benign or neoplastic tissues from breast, lung, or prostate lesions. Analyses of fatty acyl chains from ethanolamine-containing plasmalogens provided a reliable tumor marker that correlated with high Se and linearity with metastases spreading. This fact may be useful in prognosis of the most frequently observed human cancers.

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Abbreviations

ADAG:

Alkyldiacylglycerols

BL:

Benign (lesions or tissues)

C:

Normal

CEA:

Carcinoembryonic antigen

ChoGpl:

Choline glycerophospholipids

EtnGpl:

Ethanolamine glycerophospholipids

FAs:

Fatty acids

FAMEs:

Fatty acid methyl esters

GEDE-A:

1-O-alkyl-2,3-diacyl-sn-glycerol

GEDE-E:

1-O-alkenyl-2,3-diacyl-sn-glycerol

NEO:

Neoplastic (lesions or tissues)

NPV:

Negative-predictive value

PakCho:

Plasmanylcholine (1-O-alkyl-2-acyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine)

PakEtn:

1-O-alkyl-2-acyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (plasmanylethanolamine)

PlsCho:

Plasmenylcholine (1-O-alk-1′-enyl-2-acyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine)

PlsEtn:

1-O-alk-1′-enyl-2-acyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (plasmenylethanolamine)

PtdEtn:

Diacyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine

PtdCho:

Diacyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine

PPV:

Positive-predictive value

PSA:

Prostatic specific antigen

PUFAs:

Polyunsaturated fatty acids

Se:

Sensitivity

Sp:

Specificity

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Acknowledgments

We are very grateful to the surgeons who contributed to this study. The authors also thank Elsa Claverie and Norma Cristalli for excellent technical assistance. Partially supported by grants from CIC, CONICET and UNLP, Argentina.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hospital Penna, Bahía Blanca, Pcia. de Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Rosina E. Smith & Pablo Lespi

  2. Hospital San Martín, La Plata, Argentina

    Pablo Lespi & Fernando A. Marra

  3. Hospital Rossi, Cátedra de Patología. Facultad de Ciencias Médcias de la UNLP, La Plata, Argentina

    María Di Luca

  4. Hospital Meléndez, Adrogué, Pcia. de Buenos Aires, La Plata, Argentina

    María Di Luca & Fernando A. Marra

  5. Hospital Rossi, Servicio de Histopatología, La Plata, Argentina

    Claudia Bustos

  6. Clínica Vaccarini, Servivio de Medicina General, La Plata, Argentina

    Fernando A. Marra

  7. INIBIOLP (Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de La Plata), CONICET-UNLP, Cátedra de Bioquímica. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas de la Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Calles 60 y 120, 1900, La Plata, Argentina

    María J. T. de Alaniz & Carlos A. Marra

Authors
  1. Rosina E. Smith
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  2. Pablo Lespi
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  3. María Di Luca
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  4. Claudia Bustos
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  5. Fernando A. Marra
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  6. María J. T. de Alaniz
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  7. Carlos A. Marra
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Correspondence to Carlos A. Marra.

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Smith, R.E., Lespi, P., Di Luca, M. et al. A Reliable Biomarker Derived from Plasmalogens to Evaluate Malignancy and Metastatic Capacity of Human Cancers. Lipids 43, 79–89 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11745-007-3133-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11745-007-3133-6

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